which does not need to run in high loading, with a benefit on fuel consumption.”
Mitsubishi Fuso said the Canter Eco
hybrid truck has been shown to experience 15 to 20% fuel savings when compared to a conventional diesel powertrain.
Akikawa said the theoretical potential
of the energy recuperation is about
30% to the propulsion energy in city
delivery operation.
But this 30% is not totally transferred
to the final propulsion because of effi-
ciency losses in the system. “Therefore,”
he said, “all components with their effi-
ciencies have to be carefully matched to
the application.”
The conclusion by Akikawa is that a
hybrid is not a “one size fits all” system
and every application has to be carefully
evaluated and matched. This also
applies to the same vehicle in different
geographical markets.
For example, in the European market the Canter Eco hybrid is participating in a large fleet test. Ten Euro 4
trucks have been adapted to European requirements and are now utilized in London in normal business
operations. They will be monitored for
a three-year period with a new measuring system.
The test has already indicated that
gross vehicle weight and average speed
is slightly higher in Europe than in Japan.
In London, about 12% of the propulsion
energy is covered by the electric machine, while in Japan it is slightly higher
— close to 15%.
In the field of hybrid technology, rapid
and significant developments are on the
way and batteries are undergoing the
most rapid evolution, said Akikawa.
The current Generation 1 of Li-ion
batteries will be replaced by Generation 2, which feature a higher specific power for expanding the application to the market of medium- and
heavy-duty trucks.
As hybrid systems, in principle, try to
run the vehicle as much as possible in
electric mode, one other trend is the
electrification of auxiliaries, such as the
power steering, air compressor and cli-
mate compressor.
